Good bye

One of our kittens founds its forever home today!
One of Christopher's friends wanted to have a kitten.  He came today and spent a couple of
hours playing with the kittens, decided to take the brown and white one.

Even though I know it's better for them to go, I have grown rather found of these little guys.
The question now is can I let the others go?

Here We Go Again

The Care Manager who is responsible for my MIL set her up with a security team.  If MIL had another fall or became ill she has a emergency button that alerts staff who can drive out to her place and check on her.  

Last Thursday night we got a call from the security company.  They were at MIL's waiting for an ambulance.  They called back at 2am saying that MIL had been taken to one of the large hospitals in the next city.  Mikey and I drove out there.  This was the hospital that Hannah was in when she was born, 16 years ago.  The hospital has changed so much, many new buildings and the car parks are all over the place.  We found a place to park but then had to walk to 10 minutes to the emergency building!  When we got there it was a case of waiting around for about an hour!  The doctor came and explained what was going on.  MIL was bleeding internally, maybe because of blood thinning medicine she was taking.  The blood had pooled around her thigh and hip where she had the operation last year.   This was causing extreme pain and she was unable to walk.  We had to wait another hour or so while they did more tests on her.  Then came all the forms we had sign for her, admission forms, permission for blood transfusions, permission for other meds.  We finally left at 6am.  We got back and Mikey headed for bed.

After dropping Hannah off at school, David and I drove back to the hospital.  This hospital didn't want to admit her because she was a patient at another hospital and they had all of the records for her. So we spent a few hours hanging around to get transport, which we have to pay for! MIL was in so much pain that I  had to ask the doctor for extra pain relief!  I understand that they couldn't give anything too strong but they didn't even offer her anything!  Finally we got her to right hospital, another load of forms to fill in!  We then drove to her house to pick up things that she needs.  I was shocked at how bad the house was again.  I was looking for somethings on her table when as massive cockroach ran out!  She had taken jam into the bedroom and left it there, the smell was awful!  We didn't stay long there.  Back to the hospital and finally met with the doctor. He wants to give medicine to thicken her blood a bit but it is dangerous.  Looks like she will be in hospital for a while! So again it looks like we will be spending a load of time back and forth to the hospital.  I am so mad because I wanted her in a home last year but she wouldn't agree and the other family members wouldn't support me.  The only other family MIL had was her sister but she passed away this April.  So everything falls to us!  It is going to be a long autumn and winter!

Really Not Happy

The city I live in offers cheap health checks for people over 50.  Basic checkup, heart,
blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and liver function.  A couple of weeks ago I started to
have a burning, tingling feeling on the bottom of my left foot.  Checked Google and the only
thing that came up was nerve damage because of diabetes!  Turns out that the burning had nothing to do with diabetes, one of the kittens had peed in my shoe and even though I had washed it out I was
having an allergic reaction to the cat pee!  Anyway I decided to go and get the health check.
I got the results yesterday!  Blood pressure normal, good, liver function fine!  But my cholesterol
is a bit high!  The big shock was the number for diabetes. The doctor explained that over 6
means diabetes, my number was 5.7!  So I have to lose weight!  I know it's my own
fault, I've been comfort eating since having the operation and now it has caught up to me!
Somehow I can find determination because it is my health that is at risk, just for vanity I
can't find the same determination!  The doctor recommended that I lose 10kg!  That feels like
a lot! But it's a goal and I am giving myself plenty of time to do it.  I'll get the papers
for next years check up in April, so until then I will lose 10kg!
Wish me luck.
If anybody has interesting recipes I would be happy to see them!

Never Ending

There is a line in the song "Circle of Life" that says " There's more to do than can ever be
done" . That is certainly true in this house! I found a list of to do things marked September 2013,
all I have to do is change the year as the list is the same!  Clean bedrooms, deep clean kitchen (difficult to do in the intense heat of the summer), tidy up the  yard. The only item on my list that is
finished is the back corridor, half of that has been cleaned out, books, papers and things that had been
collecting there for years have gone! So last night I made plans.  The weather has gone cool so
I thought get up. get Hannah to school (school on Sunday, just one hour for some test), then start but
I woke up feeling awful. Headache, sore throat and a fever.  I think the dramatic change in temperature means I have a cold!  So I have slept, and taken some pain killer, lets hope I feel
better for tomorrow!
One thing I have to do is buy a new oven. My old one over heats after about 15 minutes, so
baking cakes or muffins is out of the question!  David and I had a look yesterday but as always
making a decision is difficult!  I hope to check out one more place tomorrow then decide, I really need one before Halloween, the students look forward to the cookies that I make for them!

typhoon 21 and an earthquake

Two days ago Japan was hit by a massive typhoon.  The international airport in
Osaka was flooded, stranding about 3000 people. My understanding is the airport
is built on reclaimed land and a bridge connects it to the main land. During the
typhoon a tanker ship smashed into the bridge, causing a lot of damage, closing the
bridge!  In other areas cars and trucks were thrown about like toys, houses lost
roofs, part of the roof in Kyoto station came down, and signs were blown down.
Here is a link to Japan Times
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/04/national/strong-typhoon-poised-make-landfall-shikoku-kii-peninsula-afternoon/#.W5BOAExuL5o

Hope that works, if not doing a search on typhoon 21 should bring up a load of
reports.
This morning Hannah put the news on, expecting more news on the typhoon or the
power harassment scandal that has dominated the news. Instead the news is about a
strong earthquake in Hokkaido!  It hit in the early morning, about 3am and registered
as an M6. That is strong, the news is showing houses that have collapsed and constant after quakes.
Very scary.  I know Hokkaido is the opposite end of Japan but these natural disasters
seem to be happening far too often!  With disasters likes typhoons or heavy rain even
if the damage is extensive and there is a loss of life I always feel that I can prepare and
keep my family safe. Earthquakes just happen, any time!  That to me is more scary!

September

I have a love/hate relationship with August. I love that I can have a holiday, I love that
Hannah didn't have school, just a load of homework. I love that I don't have to get
up early to make breakfast and lunch box (obento) for Hannah.  But I hate the weather.
Every year it is hot. Starts in June and just goes on and on. This year was really bad.
A couple of times the next city hit 39.5C, that is crazy hot! Too hot to do anything!
It does get rather depressing, there is only so much TV to watch and so many books to
read!  I want to go out, not just to the shops but somewhere interesting but with the heat
I just couldn't do it!
So September!  Hannah is back at school, but missed two days because of heat stroke. She
wasn't too sick but practicing outside in 35C heat for two days took its toll on her. she is
okay now, tired after her sports day, and tests today.
I am already thinking about Halloween. The 100 yen shop has Halloween goods out already!
Wondering what to do for the kiddies classes that is fun and educational.  Then comes Christmas!
But before that I have to buy an oven, mine doesn't really work!
The kittens are growing.  They are so cute but rather naughty!  My poor walls are all scratched up.
Still don't know what to do with them!  The cost of keeping them is huge, vet bills, food. cat litter
and damage that they do to the house!  We will see!

See, total cuteness

Busy Days

I've had a couple of weeks off from teaching but I seem to be more busy!
Spent a day moving furniture, again! Also packed up boxes to take to MIL's
house. I just have too much stuff here, books than nobody reads, pots and pans
that have worn out and clothes that are too small!  I know dumping the stuff in
MIL's storage place isn't the best thing but at the moment I don't know what else to do!
Mikey, Christopher and I drove out to MIL's! It always depresses me to go there.
She had the house built about 25 years go but she hasn't taken care of it at all. It's a mess
inside and out, needs a good paint job, even cleaning the windows would help, She
really can't take care of herself, she had a massive bruise down the side of her
face, another fall. And there is nothing we can do about it, she passed the cognitive
test so the welfare system can't place her in a home. The fact that she has limited
mobility and another serious fall could kill her doesn't factor in!
Went shopping yesterday, I bought fish on Sunday and even though it was in a
cooler bag, on ice it smelt really bad. David called the supermarket and they told
us to bring the receipt and get our money back. I was a bit upset at not having fish
the other day, I really fancied it!  But the supermarket service was good, no questions asked
they just refunded us!
Today is David's birthday, so going to have some fun with the kids today!  Have to go to
the hospital for another check up but after that we will have nice dinner, cake and watch
some movie!
The kittens are growing well.  They have taken to using the litter box, couple of little
accidents! I went to put my shoes on the other day and found a small puddle, of course
it had to be my shoe that one of them peed in!